Google bans biggest Chinese app developer from Google Play Store

Chinese app maker CooTek has been banned by Google from the Play Store for violating the Google Play Store Developer policies. The company had been warned once by Google of offences, but due to the lack of action on CooTek’s part, the Chinese app developer now finds itself banned from the Play Store.

CooTek’s most popular app is the free emoji keyboard app called TouchPal, which has been downloaded over a 100 million times by users around the world. The app, according to users, was throwing up so many ads in the user interface that the phone would become practically unusable. CooTek was issued a warning by Google, according to Buzzfeed News, and despite promising to fix the issue, the problem went ignored. Google, hence, banned the app developer from the Play Store.

"Our Google Play developer policies strictly prohibit malicious and deceptive behavior, as well as disruptive ads. When violations are found, we take action,” a Google spokesperson told BuzzFeed News.

While TouchPal might be the most popular app from CooTek, the app developer has published some 200 apps that follow the same offensive pattern. Security Firm LookOut discovered that most of CooTek’s offending apps had a hidden adware plugin known as BeiTaAd. The plugin would start bombarding users with ads after a predetermined period of time had passed.

Since the ban, CooTek says it has uploaded new versions of the app to address the issue. However, LookOut and Buzzfeed have shared that 58 of the new apps uploaded contain code that allows the same activity to continue. While CooTek denied the claims, Google verified them and has removed the offending apps.  

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AI algorithm DeepCubeA solves Rubiks Cube in one second

Since its invention in the 1970s, there have only been a few things that have revealed the limits of problem solving skills in humans faster than a Rubik’s Cube. The 3D multicoloured, logic puzzle has perplexed many since 1974. However, researchers at the University of California have developed an AI algorithm named DeepCubeA that can solve a Rubik’s Cube in a fraction of a second. They noted that AI’s strategy was very different from the way humans tackle the puzzle. Moreover, DeepCubeA solved the Rubik’s Cube in a fraction of a second without having any specific knowledge of the domain or in-game coaching from humans.

"It learned on its own," said report author, Prof Pierre Baldi, Professor at the University of California. The study published in Nature Machine Intelligence, saw the algorithm target to decode all the 10 billion different combinations within 30 moves, and solved it in 28 moves. In contrast, humans generally take a minimum of 50 moves to solve a Rubik’s Cube.

"Artificial Intelligence can defeat the world's best human chess and Go players, but some of the more difficult puzzles, such as the Rubik's Cube, had not been solved by computers, so we thought they were open for AI approaches," said Baldi. The algorithm was designed to find underlying relationships by mimicking how the human brain processes information. Moreover, the  algorithm also relied on machine learning techniques, a system that allows AI to learn by identifying patterns and using inference with minimal human intervention.

However, the algorithm is not the fastest or the first non-human to solve a Rubik’s Cube. A system devised at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, dubbed the min2phase algorithm, solved the puzzle three times faster. Additionally, in 2018, researchers built a robot that solved the puzzle in 0.38 seconds.

"The solution to the Rubik's Cube involves more symbolic, mathematical and abstract thinking, so a deep learning machine that can crack such a puzzle is getting closer to becoming a system that can think, reason, plan and make decisions," states the report. 

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Fortnite v9.40 Update Brings Redesigned Tactical Shotgun, Automatic Item Pickup, and More

Fortnite v.940 update introduces a deadlier version of the tactical shotgun, automatic item pickup, and a host of other UI changes.

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SpaceXs prototype Starship rocket engulfed in flames during engine test

Space X is working on developing its Starship rocket that is meant to ferry people into space. However, before realising that goal, the company needs to test it and this is being done via a prototype rocket called Starhopper. The aerospace company is currently testing the prototype Starhopper rocket at its Boca Chica facility in Texas. Just a couple of days ago during testing, the Spacehopper rocket was engulfed in flames after a fire suddenly erupted from underneath the rocket's engine. This reportedly happened four minutes into the test that was going well. It is not known whether the prototype rocket was damaged or not. 

As per a report by Everyday Astronaut, Starhopper was tethered down and the new Raptor Engine was being tested. The fire was put out soon after it erupted and SpaceX has not yet released a statement about whether what happened was intentional or if something went wrong. Starhopper is basically a smaller version of the Starship craft and it’s aimed to help perform testing in a live-fire environment and eventually perform short flights called hops. While Starhopper has been tested only while being tethered, the company was planning to perform an untethered flight by letting it hover at about 20 meters above the ground. 

It also seems as if SpaceX might be delaying further testing of Starhopper since @LabPadre notes that the company has withdrawn road and beach closures around its testing area. As per the report, there is no testing date planned by SpaceX at this time, and if what happened was unintentional, it is possible that the test plans could be delayed indefinitely. The company is currently raising funds for Starship and Starlink, which is its internet satellite network. Starship is envisioned to be the aerospace company’s first fully reusable rocket. Currently, SpaceX partially reuses the recovered rocket boosters from its Falcon series spacecraft. 

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New PUBG update brings major visual changes to Erangel, vehicle and weapon tweaks and more

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, better known as PUBG is getting a major update for Season 4. As part of the update, Erangel on PUBG will have a revamped look and include new buildings, terrain, and graphics.

The update is part of the 4.1 patch that is now live on the game’s test servers. The final update will hit the PC version on July 24 and then later on consoles in the summer. The changes now reflect the map’s battle-torn vibes and the game includes ravaged tanks and artillery, camo-netting, and shoreline barriers. Houses also show more signs of damage.

The developers have also reduced grass density, colour saturation and brightness after receiving feedback from players. There’s also an in-car radio, which can be controlled by the driver while playable and destroyable turntables will be presented randomly in Erangel.

There’s more. The new update includes tweaks to weapons and vehicles. You can now heal and boost while moving while in vehicles, there’s auto-acceleration, and the ability to ‘lock’ the BRDM-2 armored vehicle so only teammates can enter.

The Season 4 pass will also offer new missions and rewards and a new co-op mission section will be rolled out, where you can team up with friends to complete missions.

In addition to that, PUBG Corps also dropped a story trailer, once again hinting at a campaign mode for the game. The trailer attempts to explain why people are fighting each other in an abandoned island in the first place.

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Chandrayaan-2 revised launch date set for July 22 at 2:43pm IST

Space fans who eagerly flocked to Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in the early hours of Monday, July 15, were met with unexpected disappointment as India’s second uncrewed lunar mission failed to take to the skies. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said that a “technical snag” had caused the space agency to postpone Chandrayaan-2  launch by at least a few days. Now, however, ISRO has tweeted a revised launch time for the Moon-bound spacecraft: July 22, 2:43 pm IST. In other words, it's next Monday afternoon.

Carrying Chandrayaan-2 as its primary payload, ISRO’s 3.8-tonne GSLV Mk-III-M1 rocket was supposed to lift off on July 15 at 2:51 am IST. Unfortunately, the rocket’s launch was aborted 56 minutes, 24 seconds before lift-off after ISRO realised there were some “technical snags”. These technical difficulties are expected to be rectified by now since the space agency has made the revised launch date public on its Twitter account.

If all goes well, Chandrayaan-2 might still make it to its planned lunar soft-landing window sometime in early September even if the actual landing date is delayed by up to a week. In a recent interview, ISRO Chairman K Sivan termed the soft-landing as “15 terrifying minutes”, suggesting that the manoeuvre is a complex and unprecedented one. Chandrayaan-2 is scheduled to make a landing in the lunar south pole. 

Chandrayaan-2 consists of a lander (Vikram), which in turn, houses the rover (Pragyaan). The two are stacked with the orbiter modules in a composite structure and are interfaced mechanically. When Chandrayaan-2 reaches the lunar orbit, the lander, with the rover inside it, will decouple itself from the orbiter and make its way to the surface. ISRO is believed to have chosen the lunar south pole as it’s known to contain traces of water ice. Sunlight does not reach the bottom of many craters in this region. Hence, these craters are cold and expected to contain fossils of the early Solar System.

Chandrayaan 2 is ready to take a billion dreams to the Moon — now stronger than ever before! Join us for the launch on Monday — 22 July, 2019 — at 2:43 PM IST. #Chandrayaan2 #GSLVMkIII #ISRO pic.twitter.com/4ybFcHNkq6

— ISRO (@isro) July 18, 2019

 

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Vivo Z1 Pro goes on sale at 12pm on Flipkart, Vivocom: Price, specs and all you need to know

Vivo launched the Z1 Pro at the start of this month and since then, the company has help quite a few sales for the phone. The handset will be up for grabs once again at 12pm, and the three variants of the phone will be available for purchase. Those who are interested in buying the phone can head to Flipkart or Vivo India’s online store to order a device for themselves. The Vivo Z1 Pro is a budget gaming offering from the Chinese tech firm. One can also avail offers on the e-commerce website.

Vivo Z1 Pro price and offers:

As mentioned, the Vivo Z1 Pro comes in three variants: 4GB RAM + 64GB storage, which is priced at Rs 14,990, 6GB + 64GB model which will be available for Rs 16,990, and the third top-of-the-line 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant that will retail at Rs 17,990. Users can avail up to Rs 17,900 exchange value on the purchase of the phones via Flipkart. Vivo is offer discounts on the Z1 Pro during the ongoing Flipkart’s Big Shopping Day sale.

As part of the offer, customers can avail 10-percent instant discount on SBI Credit Cards (and maximum discount per card is Rs 1,750) only on Flipkart today. The e-commerce platform is also giving an option of No Cost EMI to the potential buyers and Jio benefits worth Rs 6,000. The handset will be available in Mirror Black, Sonic Black, and Sonic Blue colours.

Vivo Z1 Pro specifications:

The Vivo Z1 Pro features a ‘3D curved design’ on the rear panel and it comes equipped with a 6.53-inch display that delivers a 2340x1080p resolution. The screen has a 19.5:9 display aspect ratio and the device is said to feature 90.77 percent screen-to-body-ratio. The smartphone runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 chipset - the first phone with this mobile platform in India. The phone will be available in three RAM and storage variants.

As mentioned, the Vivo Z1Pro is a budget gaming device, and features Multi-Turbo technology that is said to help optimise the overall smartphone in key areas like cooling, AI, internet, gaming and more. When the feature is turned on, the Center Turbo feature, which is a part of Multi-Turbo tech, is said to deliver up to 78-percent improvement for anti-frame drops and Cooling Turbo is touted to drop the handset’s temperature by 1-1.5 degrees. There’s also Game Turbo that is said to help improve the device’s gaming performance.

When it comes to camera, the Vivo Z1Pro comes equipped with a triple-rear camera setup. The camera features an 8MP super-wide angle sensor, a 16MP Sony IMX499 sensor and a 2MP sensor for bokeh images. On the front is a 32MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture lens. It also comes with a dedicated physical button that calls Google Assistant and Google Lens. The handset is backed by a 5000mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging. You can read our gaming review of the phone here and comparison with other mid-segment devices here.

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